Loretta’s Novice Athletes and More Group- Open (Page 2)

1 week down, 15 to go!

I missed a swim on Thursday because I have had a minor cold all week. Finally feeling 100%. I dodged a bullet there.





Attachments
----------------
w1.jpg (159KB - 39 downloads)

Just wondering if you are still accepting any new people, if so I would love to join the group. I use to be an avid runner but I have been sidelined for about 6 years with reconstructive surgery on my knee then had surgery on my ankle then my foot and then my other ankle. All basketball, football, and running injuries. I am signed up for a mini sprint tri on April 1 but I have never done a tri before . I have no time goals for the race just hoping to finish and then go from there. I am 45 with 5 kids, 4 still at home, so I do my training at 4:00 am which I can bike and run but hard to find anywhere open to swim during the weak then so I am trying to figure that one out since it is by far my weakest of the events.

Welcome to the group, Ranick. Swimming is by far my weakest as well. Are you able to pay for access to a gym pool or YMCA? You could do almost all of your swimming there, then make arrangements to get to an open water area a couple times before your race. Some gyms let you buy a package of 3-5 swim lessons. I took 5 lessons when I first started and I am very glad I did.

Welcome to the group Ranick!! Great way to start off with the goal of just to finish and go from there for that first race. The first race is all about learning and figuring out how to work through a race. Swimming is usually the most challenging for most people. Bluestack had a lot of great suggestions to get started. Also check to see if there are some tri groups in your area that can help with suggestions as well Since your race is in April, I am assuming you are in the warmer weather so tri groups in your area may have some organiized swims already happening. Training as 4a, that is rough! I always have good intentions for the early hours but never seem to make it that early. Let me know if you have any questions or need any help! Loretta

Your workouts are looking great! Swimming does not look like a weakness at all...your are doing excellent!
By the time you get to your race, you will be so ready!

Weeks 2 and 3 are done.

I started week 2 with a stomach bug but fortunately it only lasted a day and a half so I was able to jump right back into training.

I purchased a used 2012 Cervelo P2 last month and finally started riding it on the trainer. On a tempo ride I increased my 20-minute FTP during a random segment - probably based solely on the geometry of the bike. A couple days later I had a professional bike fit done. The day after the fit I took an FTP test and totally destroyed my old FTP. I am feeling a lot more powerful on the new bike and with the proper fitting. I am sitting higher and more forward allowing me to get up over the pedals with ease.

I strained a muscle in my neck while swimming so I didn't swim much last week. I made up for it on the bike. I took the P2 on two outdoor rides and had a lot of fun. I felt very unstable the fist 10 miles, especially while on the aerobars. On Sunday I took it on a 56 mile ride and stayed in the bars almost the entire time. I am starting to get comfortable with it. My neck hurt pretty bad that evening but cleared up the next day.

I purchased a Powertap GS hub power meter a few days ago. I am getting the wheel rebuilt with the new power meter hub today. I should have outdoor power soon. It will be interesting to see how much the trainer and hub power readings differ from each other.






Attachments
----------------
2-3.jpg (304KB - 39 downloads)

A new bike and fitting makes a big difference as you can tell. My racing bike is a P2 as well and last summer I had a total bike fit and I found the same thing...my power increase by 20-30 watts overnight. With that strained neck muscle if you have a foam roller or even a tennis ball that you can work the top of the shoulders into the neck muscle that is sore to try to take some of that pressure or soreness away. You can lean up against the wall with the ball and move it around to find where the pain coming from and use the ball to massage the spot or add pressure to see if it will open up. Do a lot of stretching because you don't want this to linger on to long. I think you are in the Northeast as well-it has been wonderful to get out on the roads, right?
Loretta

So how is everyone doing with training? I am not seeing many questions here so are there specific questions or issue you are having with training? Or a topic that you would like information/tips on such as nutrition, strength training or anything else? You can always PM as well if you prefer. I want to be able to provide you information that you would find of value so you have a successful season!

Thanks-Loretta

I am done with weeks 4 and 5 of 16.

I came down with a nasty cold on Friday and have not done anything since then. I am hoping tomorrow I will start feeling better (my scheduled rest day) and then I can jump into week 6 and get back on track.

Last Friday I took off work and did a solo century in the amazing weather that we had.

112 miles - 6:25:45 moving time - 17.5 mph - 4,065 feet - 154w
5 gels, 4 bananas , 6 bottles of Gatorade
Roughly 1 hour of stoppage, traffic lights, chain drops, call wife, gas stations.
So the entire trip took about 7.5 hours.

I felt so good at mile 100, stopped my nutrition and hammered home the last 12 miles. I feel like if I kept my nutrition going and maintained watts I could have done at least 150 without any problems.

I am planning out a double century in early April. Not really anything to do with my 70.3 training but it is going to be fun and is keeping me motivated.





Attachments
----------------
w4-5.jpg (244KB - 29 downloads)

So get this...

As soon as I got home from the century I went straight to the basement to run a mile on the treadmill. Right around 1 mile the walking belt just stopped in its tracks as I was running a 9min pace. I slammed into the front of the treadmill and landing on my back against the concrete wall... can't believe I didn't get injured. Rubber smell was everywhere... I think an internal belt must have snapped. Talk about a dangerous situation. How crazy would that have been to be on the roads for 7 hours and then come home and break a bone in my basement....

Here is the route I planned out for the double. I am hoping to leave just before twilight on April 7 as long as there is no rain or crazy winds, otherwise I may leave a day early, later, or postpone a week.

I used google street view to almost always be on a safe shoulder. Ending at my in-laws.

Edited by bluestacks867 2017-03-06 2:08 PM






Attachments
----------------
200.jpg (759KB - 36 downloads)

WOW...you are going full force!! Just be careful, it is early in the season and you don't want to burn out or get injured. Make sure you have some easy days to balance the hard work you are putting in. Your paces look really good, I think you are going to do awesome in the half and full. And you really missed a good injury with that treadmill fall....someone was looking out for you!

Week 6, 7, and 8 attached. Swimming has suffered a lot in March for a variety of reasons. I am going to get back into it and get some open water in soon. Bike and run are stronger than ever.





Attachments
----------------
w6-7-8.jpg (193KB - 34 downloads)

Swimming is the shortest leg and having a strong bike and run will really help carry you through the toughest parts. For this first tri, you really want to be comfortable in the water and able to manage the distance and that you really have made tremendous progress. The open water training will really make the difference as far as comfort level getting the feel of the water outside of a pool. Just based on the training you have been doing, I really think you will do outstanding with your first race-

Thanks for all of the guidance. I will let you know how the first open water goes. I am hoping to get to a nearby lake in mid April and then try to get back there on most weekends leading up the the race.

I was looking at the race results from last year. The averages for everyone were

0:43:31 swim
0:05:29 T1
3:28:32 bike
0:02:30 T2
1:56:21 run

6:16:22 total

I am getting a better idea from my training on what to expect. Right now I would consider a 0:48:00 swim, 3:15:00 bike, 2:05:00 run a success. Sprinkle in T1 T2 time I think I am capable of 6:15:00ish which should be somewhere in the middle of the field. I'll probably be one of the last out of the water though.

Weeks 9 and 10 are complete. I had a strong week of running in week 9 but I really had to cut back in week 10 to prepare (and recover) from the double century.

It went really well and I had a lot of fun. Pasting recap below.

I was planning to average 17 mph and try to beat 12 hours moving time. I had somewhat of a tail wind the first 80 miles, then a nasty crosswind for the next 100 coming down through Maryland. Overall I would say the wind gave me a slight advantage but not by much. The crosswind and gusts really was a struggle.

The route I planned worked really well. Some roads were busy, some were empty, but over 180 miles had nice, wide shoulders where I had my own lane, regardless if it was an official bike lane or not.

I was making amazing time, mostly due to my disciplined aero position. By mile 100 I was averaging 18.6 mph and felt so strong. By mile 170 it dropped to 18.1 mph, mostly due to the crosswinds that were also sometimes slight head wind. I started running the numbers through my head and realized I could crush my 12 hour goal and come in under 11 hours. I cranked it hard the last 30 miles and kept running the numbers still knowing it was possible. Unexpectedly at mile 185 a road in Maryland heading into Delaware was completely stripped and grinded as if they were going to repave it soon. I bounced around on that road for 7 miles with my speed drastically being reduced. Fortunately as soon as I got to the Welcome to Delaware sign, the road construction stopped and it was smooth again. I went balls to the wall the remaining 7 or 8 miles and came in at 10 hours 53 minutes moving time. I was super happy with that.

Distance: 201.0 miles
Elevation: 6,024 feet
Moving Time: 10:53:32
Average Speed: 18.5 mi/h

Average Power (Weighted): 159 watts
Average Power: 140 watts
Average Heart Rate: 140 bpm
Average Cadence: 82 rpm

Total Work: 5,496 kJ
Calories Lost: 6,128
Elapsed Time: 12:11:53

I ate:
4 bananas
9 gels (from flask)
2 cliff bars
4 nature valley granola bars
1 bag of gummy bears
2 bags of sweedish fish
1 honey bun
8 bottles of gatorade

Lessons learned:

I should have started with two pairs of socks.
My toes were frozen for the first three hours.

I should have brought more bananas.
I do not have a large enough appetite during long rides to stay fueled properly so I need to constantly force myself to eat. Bananas tend to go down easy for me and are a big part of my nutrition plan. Gas stations in Pennsylvania always have bananas but I was not prepared for Maryland gas stations not having them. I started with two bananas and ate them by mile 60, I was unable to get any more bananas until mile 160.

I should have put sun screen on my hands.
My hands got some sunburn but not too bad though.

Overall the ride went to as planned. No major issues, surprises, or regrets.





Attachments
----------------
9-10.jpg (197KB - 29 downloads)

WOW!! Incredible ride you had. When you get to IM, the 112 will seem like nothing. It takes a lot of dedication and focus to do that ride. Your time and speeds were great considering you are out on roads with traffic. I think the times you are setting for your race are really reasonable and doesn't matter if you one of the last out of the water, the bike and run are the biggest pieces of your race so just looking at your training times for bike and run, I think you will make up a lot of time there. Pace and get your nutrition right, I really think you will do awesome. Just make sure you get your taper into the race so you don't go in to the race on tired legs.

So after an almost 4 month break, I'm back. What was thought to be a stomach virus turned to be a chronic condition. I've lost 50 pounds in the process and will continue to lose because I can't eat much anymore, hence why I haven't been able to train. I'm on new medication and feeling great, so back to lite training I go. I only have until the beginning of June until my first sprint triathlon. Running is my weakest point, so I'm just going to focus on that and try to fit swimming and biking in when I can. Any other advice?

My goal now is just to finish. I'll get to the finish line when I can. Thanks!

That is great you are back in training! Make sure you take is slow coming back so you don't injure yourself and not lose any progress you have made with your health-that is the most important. It you are balancing your time, I would spend most time with the bike and run. Getting stronger on the bike, will really help you with your run. However, I would still spend some time with the swim, just so you have a comfort level in the water and doing the distance. This is shortest part of the race but still so important to just have confidence in the water. Increase with your distances slowly over the next few weeks and just listen to your body and how you are feeling and just focus on what you can do until you are fully back to yourself.

Weeks 11, 12, 13, 14 complete. 2 weeks until race day. My taper begins now. My short term goals are to get more open water swims in, practice transition, and study the course more.







Attachments
----------------
w11-12-13-14.jpg (585KB - 39 downloads)

Week 15 complete. Next post will hopefully be a positive race report.





Attachments
----------------
w15.jpg (212KB - 32 downloads)

Lake Raystown 70.3 Race Report

Only 24 athletes started the half race.

My swim went very well given that I first started swimming in December and that this was my first open water swim over 800 yards. It was a water start and a lot of my nerves were calmed while talking to other athletes floating in the water. Because there were so few athletes, I decided to start off to the side rather than in the very back. This way I would still be out of the way but also not have to pass anyone early on. I had no clue how I was doing compared to the rest of the field, but I did know I was swimming in a straight line and at a good pace for me. About half way through the second lap, I got run over by two athletes who were doing the Olympic race. The olympic distance athletes started roughly 2 minutes after I completed lap 1, so it made sense that the caught me and mowed me down. It really wasn't bad at all, I just kept doing my thing and holding my line to the buoy.

I came out of the water and of course my kids and family were screaming like crazy as I went into T1. My spirits were pretty high at this point because the worst part was over, and the fun part (bike) was just starting. I passed 6 or 7 people on the bike within the first 20 miles, then I did not see anybody until 2 miles into the run when I saw the leader coming back in from his out and back. I learned that he was a pro triathlete, which makes sense given that he had an 11 mile run lead on me. Second place came towards me about 15 minutes later, then it seemed like an eternity before I saw the next runner. I was beginning to worry that I missed a turn. It turns out I was in 5th place after my bike split which explains why I didn't see many people coming back from the out and back.

The turnaround point for the run was up a mountain, halfway down the other side, then turn around. At mile 5.5 and about 100 yards into the mountain my quads cramped up until I had to walk for 30 seconds. The rest of the race turned into a walk, run, walk, run. My quads would cramp no matter what pace I ran so after some trial and error I figured out that it was most efficient to run a bit faster than race pace before walking again, and I tried to keep the walking to a speed walk.


Swim: 0:46:11 (1:54 / 100 yards) 12th overall
T1: 2:16 3rd overall
Bike: 3:09:31 (17.7 MPH) (3,540 Elevation) 5th overall
T2: 1:35 4th overall
Run: 2:18:35 (0:10:35) (960 Elevation) 12th overall


Total: 6:18:07 9th overall


I was really happy with the race. I ran about a minute per mile slower than I was planning to, but I am wondering if killing the bike course made up for it. It is hard to say if I still would have cramped if I spent 13 extra minutes on the bike. I was also very happy with my T1 and T2, my family said I looked very smooth and fast even though I felt like I was taking my time and making sure I didn't screw anything up. I actually got 1st in M30-34... but there were only 3 in my AG... hah!

My wife enjoyed spectating and was very impressed. She has already approved my next race. I have 17 weeks to prepare for Savage 70.0 in Deep Creek, MD.

WOW...you did awesome. Congratulations you should be very happy with this. Doesn't matter how many people are in your age group, 3 or 20, you put in all that hard work for the last 5 months and it is a well deserved win!! I am very excited for you. Now, make sure you get in your recovery and slowly work back into it. For the cramping, maybe get in some salt tablets or Base Electrolyte Salt and try in training before using in race. Congrats again-you had an amazing race!

Hi Loretta. I'd like to join your group. I am a novice, but determined to participate in a sprint Triathlon in 2018.
I'm a 55 y/o male, and married to a wonderful wife.
We have 6 adult children and a beautiful grand-daughter.
I work out at the gym and asked my spinning instructor about triathlon training. She gave me telephone numbers but no ones called back.
This forum has provded excellent pointers for starting so I've taken training into my own hands.
I swim, run, and bike at the gym. My
Strengths are biking and running. I know how to swim but very rusty. I need some guidance from a mentor with experience. I just want to be a part of a team of other triathletes. Any help, counsel, guidance will be appreciated.

Hi Loretta,

I would like to join your group. While I am new to triathlons, I have done several 1/2 and full marathons in the distant past. Due to work obligations, I have been relatively sedentary over the past several years and want to get fit again -- I am about to turn 50 in July 2018 and my health is a priority. That being said, I have convinced my twin sister (who has done 1/2 marathons with me in the past) to explore options for a 1/2 triathlon to celebrate our 50th. With the goal of a personal best being just to complete the race, do you feel there is a training program that can facilitate that July 2018 goal or do you feel that is too aggressive?

Lectra